5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection event organized by Vinitaly. Held just before the world’s largest Italian wine fair, the event is now in its fourth edition. 5StarWines is a three-day tasting that turns the spotlight on all the wineries that invest in improving their products. During the event, a jury of highly qualified industry professionals taste and rate the participating wines using a 1/100 scale. In the third edition, more than 3,100 bottles took part in the selection process, of which, 676 were selected and thereafter included in the 5StarWines – the Book guide.

The 2020 edition of 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls has been reworked to align with new health and safety guidelines put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.

So how is the event changing? This year, judges will not physically gather in Verona, Italy to taste participating wines. Instead, samples will be sent to the judges in their respective countries where they will carry out the blind tasting connected via videoconference. Judges will score the wines and submit their assessments via WebApp under the supervision of a team based in Verona.

Though redesigned, 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls 2020 will continue to support the vitality of the wine sector, and we maintain that the transformation of the event into a digital format represents an opportunity. We’ll continue to prioritize the health and wellbeing of all operators involved in the 5StarWines ecosystem while continuing to monitor the situation and provide regular updates in coordination with the appropriate institutions.

5StarWines – the Book is the Guide to the wines selected during the 5StarWines event. The Book is a useful tool, both on the promotional side, as well as on commercial side. It introduces industry experts, international buyers and wine-lovers from around the world to high quality wine products. It is a guaranteed seal of quality for the wines contained within its pages and certifies their international value.

Why participate? Selected wines will benefit from: